In the Beginning
by KingdomKey1121
Summary: Ron's summer before Hogwarts.


_Ron meets Harry, summer before Sorcerer's Stone until they get to Hogwarts._

* * *

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!"

Ron froze and slowly turned on the spot.

"What do you think you are doing with that broomstick?"

In vain, Ron struggled to hide the broom behind his back. It was a foot taller than him.

"Nothing…" he mumbled.

"What have I told you? No riding Charlie's old broom until you are older! It's dangerous!"

"Mum, I'm almost twelve! I think I'm old enough to ride a broom!"

"You'll be twelve in March, young man. Now hand it over and get in the house."

Ron surrendered the broom to his mother and glanced over his shoulder at the orchard he'd watched Fred, George, and Charlie practice Quidditch for years. The sun was just coming up and the grass was still sprinkled with dew. With a sigh, he trudged back up to the Burrow. He slumped down into a chair at the table and glared moodily at the bacon and eggs his mother presented him. Percy, who was reading, didn't say anything. Ron found the pompous set of his mouth annoying anyway.

Just as he was about to take a mouthful of breakfast, Ginny came tromping down the stairs and stopped right beside him.

"Tried to sneak a ride on Charlie's broom?" It was a question, but she knew the answer was yes. Ron glared at her.

"Saw it from my window," she snickered, sitting down opposite him.

"What's that little bro? Continuing our legacy?" Fred and George had arrived, wearing matching smirks.

"None of your business."

"On the contrary, we find our brother's troublemaking to be fascinating," said George.

"Though, from the sound of it, you could use some training," said Fred.

"Come off it," Ron snapped, trying to focus on his eggs.

Molly came in just then and swatted away the chuckling twins.

"Eat, all of you!"

"Mother, do you think our letters will come today?" Percy asked.

"Mother, do you think George and I will be expelled this year?" Fred mimicked.

Ron, Ginny, and George all laughed. Molly seemed not to notice. She peered out the window as though she could already see an owl in the distance.

"Let's hope Ron actually gets in," Ginny joked and the twins roared at Ron's expression. He set down his fork.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Actually, he felt like he was going to be sick. He clutched his stomach and leaned back in his chair.

For the next half-hour the Weasleys lounged in the kitchen, stuffing themselves and chattering about Hogwarts.

"I want to go!" Ginny whined for it seemed the hundredth time.

"Next year, dear!" Molly reassured her for the hundredth time.

Ron talked very little. Every time he thought of the letter a pang of anxiety went off in his chest and he had to close his eyes to calm himself down.

Finally, Molly said, "Look! There they are!"

Percy and Ginny hurried over to the window but Ron stayed put while the twins watched from where they were, uninterested. Percy caught the owl, which was brandishing four envelopes made of thick yellow parchment. He took his own and, throwing the rest down on the table, vanished up the stairs to his room. Fred and George picked theirs up lazily. Ron was left staring at the last one.

"Well, open it!" Ginny said impatiently.

Ron swallowed hard and placed his fingers on the rough envelope, dragging it towards himself along the table. It was addressed to "Ronald Weasley, The Kitchen, The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole" in green lettering. With fumbling fingers, he turned the letter over, catching a glimpse of the well-known Hogwarts seal before ripping it open. Ginny stood on tiptoe behind his chair to read over his shoulder.

"_Dear Mr. Weasley, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_," he read aloud. Molly shrieked and rushed over to hug him.

"We're so proud of you!" she exclaimed. Then she bustled off up the stairs after Percy. Ron sighed in release and let the letter slip out of his hand, allowing it to flutter back to the table. His brothers and sister watched its progress.

"Why are you so relieved? You weren't honestly nervous about it were you?" said Fred. Ron didn't answer. Ginny grabbed the dropped letter and read the rest to the room at large. Ron picked up his fork and resumed eating, barely listening. He was going to Hogwarts! No more listening gloomily to his brothers' tales! He was finally going!

They heard more shrieks coming from the floor above and moments later Molly and Percy came back down, a shiny badge pinned to the front of Percy's robes.

"Prefect!" coddled Molly. "Second in the family! And soon Head Boy, I hope!"

Fred and George burst out laughing and Ron scowled. Percy strutted around the room, chest puffed out. The twins laughed harder.

"We must buy you something!" Molly carried on. "How about an owl?"

"That sounds wonderful, Mother, thank you," said Percy, eyeing the twins with contempt.

Arthur arrived from the ministry shortly afterward and congratulated all of them. Tucking himself into his lunch, he informed the rest of the family the goings-on in the wizarding world. Of interest, Arthur spoke of The Boy Who Lived.

"Heard it from Perkins," he was saying between mouthfuls. "Harry Potter is finally old enough to attend. Everyone's twittering about it. No doubt getting their children excited."

"Poor thing. I wish they'd just let him be, he's just a little boy, after all," Molly tutted.

"He's my age!" Ron said indignantly. He wasn't a little boy.

"And being that he's in your year, I must ask you not to bother him, Ron," Mr. Weasley said sternly.

"Quite right," Percy piped up.

"Ooh, ooh, get his autograph for me, Ron!" Ginny squealed, bouncing up and down.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley said sharply. "Don't bother him, is that clear?" She stared her sons down until they all finally nodded.

A little while later, Ron found himself climbing the stairs with Fred and George.

"Reckon Harry Potter will let us see his scar?" George asked, nudging Ron.

"How do you even know he has a scar?"  
"Why wouldn't he? If that's what's left after You-Know-Who's killing curse, I'd like to see it. Might divulge some secrets of his success," said Fred, winking.

They slammed their bedroom door shut and left him standing on the second floor landing. Wanting to avoid Percy, he continued on his way to the attic in which he slept. The orange Chudley Cannon merchandise decorating his room was oddly comforting. He sat around, trying to imagine going to Hogwarts. Instead of pangs of dread it filled him with thrills of excitement. He daydreamed most of the afternoon until Molly's proclamation that they would visit Diagon Alley the next day brought back the anxiety.

All the while Harry Potter stole through his thoughts every now and then (though of course it didn't help that Fred and George pointed to their foreheads whenever he saw them).

* * *

_Next part will follow the book exactly, so it might be a little boring. Thanks for reading, please review ^_^_


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